Baseball batting practice device

ABSTRACT

A baseball batting practice device includes a home plate having a top face in which a plurality of channels extending in different direction are embedded. Each channel has top flanges spaced from each other to define a slot therebetween. The top flanges are substantially flush with the top face of the base plate. A slide is selectively and movably received the channels. A threaded rod extends from the slide and through the slot of the channel. An upright stand has a lower end defining an inner-threaded hole engageable with the threaded rod to attach the stand to the slide whereby the stand is movable along and switchable between the channels. The stand has an upper end forming a cavity for receiving and supporting a baseball to be batted whereby a user may selectively position the baseball at any desired location along the channels for practicing ball batting.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates generally to a device for practicingbatting of baseball, and in particular to a baseball batting practicedevice that allows for adjustment of the location of a stand thatsupports a baseball to be batted in orthogonal directions to suit theneed of different batters.

2. The Related Art

Baseball batting practice devices are known. The baseball battingpractice device comprises an upright holder that is rotatably mounted toa home plate for supporting and positioning a baseball. The uprightholder is selectively retained at different discrete angular positionsby means of a rotation mechanism. Such a rotatable construction of thebaseball holder allows a player to selectively set a baseball supportedby the holder at different positions. However, the structure of thebaseball batting practice device is complicated, for the holder is setat an angular position by having a spring-biased pin removably fit intoangularly discrete retention holes defined in the home plate. Such acomplicated structure, apparently, leads to increase of manufacturingcost and probably shortening the service life of the device.

Thus, it is desired to have a baseball batting practice device thatovercomes the problems encountered in the prior art by employing asimple but effective construction.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Therefore, a primary objective of the present invention is to provide abaseball batting practice device that allows a user to selectivelyposition a baseball to be batted at different locations on a basewithout employing a complicated structure.

Another objective of the present invention is to provide a baseballbatting practice device that is low cost.

To achieve the above objectives, in accordance with the presentinvention, there is provided a baseball batting practice devicecomprising a home plate having a top face in which a plurality ofchannels extending in different direction are embedded. Each channel hastop flanges spaced from each other to define a slot therebetween. Thetop flanges are substantially flush with the top face of the base plate.A slide is selectively and movably received the channels. A threaded rodextends from the slide and through the slot of the channel. An uprightstand has a lower end defining an inner-threaded hole engageable withthe threaded rod to attach the stand to the slide whereby the stand ismovable along and switchable between the channels. The stand has anupper end forming a cavity for receiving and supporting a baseball to bebatted whereby a user may selectively position the baseball at anydesired location along the channels for practicing ball batting.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art byreading the following description of preferred embodiments thereof, withreference to the attached drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is an exploded view of a baseball batting practice deviceconstructed in accordance with a first embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of a home plate of the baseball battingpractice device of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of the baseball batting practicedevice of the present invention; and

FIG. 4 is a top plan view of the baseball batting practice deviceconstructed in accordance with a second embodiment of the presentinvention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

With reference to the drawings and in particular to FIGS. 1 and 2, abaseball batting practice device constructed in accordance with thepresent invention, generally designated with reference numeral 10,comprises a home plate 12 positionable on for example the ground of apractice field. The home plate 12 has a top face 14 on which an uprightstand 16 is removably and position-adjustably mounted. The stand 16 hasa lower end removably attached to the top face 14 of the home plate 12and an opposite upper end forming a conical cavity 20 for receiving andsupporting a baseball (not shown) therein.

A plurality of channels is defined in the top face 14 of the home plate12. In the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1-3, the channels are dividedin two groups, the first channels 22 and the second channels 24,extending in perpendicular directions. However, the channels 22, 24 canbe extended in directions that are different but not perpendicular. Thechannels 22, 24 may have different lengths but each starts from an edge(not labeled) of the home plate 12 whereby an entrance opening isdefined in the edge. Each channel 22, 24 has opposite top flanges 26spaced from each other to define a slot 28 therebetween.

In the embodiment illustrated, the home plate 12 is made of rubber orplastics by molding, while the channels 22, 24 are made of metal. Thechannels 22, 24 are embedded in the top face 14 of the home plate 12whereby the flanges 26 of the channels 22, 24 are substantially flushwith the top face 14 of the home plate 12.

A slide 30 is sized and shaped to be selectively and movably received inone of the channels 22, 24 through the associated entrance opening. Theslide 30 can be switched between different channels 22, 24. A threadedrod 32 extends from the slide 30 and through the slot 28 to get beyondthe flanges 26.

The lower end of the stand 16 defines an inner-threaded hole 34, seeFIG. 3, engageable with the threaded rod 32 of the slide 30 with theopposite flanges 26 of the channel 22, 24 in which the slide 30 ismovably received interposed between the lower end of the stand 16 andthe slide 30. The friction between the flanges 26 of the channel 22, 24and the slide 30 and the lower end of the stand 16 helps to securely fixthe stand 16 to the top face 14 of the home plate 12, while allowingselectively moving the slide 30 and the stand 16 to any desired positionalong the channel 22, 24, or re-positioning the slide 30 into otherchannels 22, 24, by loosening the threading engagement between the stand16 and the slide 30.

In the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1-3, three first channels 22 aredefined in the top face 14 of the home plate 12. A central channelextends from an apex of the pentagonal home plate 12, while two sidechannels extend from the edge opposite to the apex and located onopposite sides of the central channel. A single second channel 24 isformed in the top face 14 of the home plate 12 and extending in adirection substantially perpendicular to the first channels 22. Thesecond channel 24 extends between opposite edges of the home plate 12and divides each side channel into two sections of which one has bothends closed. To allow attachment of the stand 16 to the section havingboth ends closed, an additional slide can be positioned in the sectionof the channel in advance. It is apparent that the number, position, anddirection of the channels 22, 24 are simply a matter of design choice.Modification and variation on the channels 22, 24 can be done easily.For example and as shown in FIG. 4, in which a home plate, alsodesignated with reference numeral 12, constructed in accordance with asecond embodiment of the present invention is shown, only a single firstchannel 22′ and a single second channel 24′ are formed in the home plate12 of the second embodiment, illustrating a simplified arrangement ofthe channels for position-adjustably securing the stand 16.

Although the present invention has been described with reference to thepreferred embodiments thereof, it is apparent to those skilled in theart that a variety of modifications and changes may be made withoutdeparting from the scope of the present invention which is intended tobe defined by the appended claims.

1. A baseball batting practice device comprising: a base plate having atop face; a first channel formed in the top face and extending in afirst direction, the first channel having opposite top flanges spacedfrom each other to define a slot therebetween; a second channel formedin the top face and extending in a second direction, the second channelhaving opposite top flanges spaced from each other to define a slottherebetween, the second direction being different from the firstdirection; a slide movably received in one of the channels andswitchable between the channels, the slide forming a threaded rodextending through the slot of the channel and beyond the flanges; and anupright stand having a lower end defining an inner-threaded boreengageable with the threaded rod to attach the stand to the top face ofthe base plate, the upright stand having an upper end forming a cavityfor receiving and supporting a baseball.
 2. The baseball battingpractice device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first and seconddirections are substantially perpendicular to each other.
 3. Thebaseball batting practice device as claimed in claim 1, wherein threefirst channels are formed in the top face of the base plate, including acentral one and two side ones located on opposite sides of the centralone.
 4. The baseball batting practice device as claimed in claim 3,wherein the first and second directions are substantially perpendicularto each other.
 5. The baseball batting practice device as claimed inclaim 1, wherein the flanges of the channels are substantially flushwith the top face of the base plate.
 6. The baseball batting practicedevice as claimed in claim 1, wherein each channel forms an opening inan edge of the base plate for receipt of the slide therein.